Michael Hewes
Portrayed by Zachary Booth Michael Hewes is the son of Patty Hewes and Daniel Purcell, but considers his stepfather, Phil Grey, to be his father. He is also the biological father of Catherine Hewes. Background Not much is revealed about his childhood before the series. He was raised by his mother and stepfather the majority of his life. Seems to have been quite the trouble maker and blames his mother for all his mistakes due to her strict and uncaring ways when she raised him and how she put her career over him when he was growing up. He was last seen on season 5 when he was shot and killed when he and Patty were in a custody battle over his daughter, Catherine Hewes. Series Introduced to the series early on. He seems to be extremely rebellious and entitled. Quite adept with technology as well. After mailing his mother a grenade in a box, his mother has him removed from society and put into a technology free boot camp of sorts. He is there for a month when his mother comes to visit him and to make the decision on whether he should continue staying there. At which time he states that he wants to stay. Not sure what to do with him anymore she offers him emancipation papers and offers to cut all ties. Michael ends up returning home and doing much better. He works at an art gallery where he gets into a relationship with the owner, Jill Burnham. She is 15 years his senior and when introduced to his parents Patty does not approve. She eventually kicks him out and he moves in with Jill. Shortly after Patty sees him again and he states that he is doing well with a new office job and that he had broken up with Jill. We find out later that this is false and that Jill is pregnant with his child. Patty eventually finds out and offers Jill money to leave Michael, which at first she refuses. Michael asks his mother about chromosomal family history for the medical tests for their unborn child. He also orders a paternity test to prove to his mother that it truly is his child. Shortly after Jill pretends to accept Patty's offer to leave Michael for $500,000. But in truth she uses to the money to buy Michael a car and put a down payment on a new apartment. Patty then uses the conception date on the medical tests to show that the child was conceived before Michael was 18, sending Jill to jail while 8 months pregnant. Michael then drives a car into Patty's car and then disappears. After spending 3 years, first in Boston & then other unknown locations, Michael returns to seek custody of his 3 year old daughter Catherine so he can be a father to her and believes Patty will hurt Catherine like she hurt him when he was growing up. Patty has legal custody of her and refuses to let Michael see her. This ensues a custody battle in which Ellen Parsons becomes a witness against Patty Hewes. The case is postponed because of conflict of interest while the two face off in court. During this time Lyle Hewes, Michael's maternal grandfather, comes out of the wood work to try and convince Michael to get Patty to sign off her half of the rights to his land. It is unclear if Patty re-hires Uncle Pete's assassin to kill Ellen ( for the second attempt). The assassin kills Michael instead because Michael threatens to expose the assassin's first attempt on Ellen's life because Michael was there and saw him and Uncle Pete. Ellen goes missing (but she is simply in the hospital). It is assumed Patty is somehow involved and she is arrested. While sitting in the jail room briefing room an officer comes in and tells Patty that Michael has been shot and killed. Patty is devastated as she lost her only son from something that was she set in motion 5 years prior by none other than herself. It is unclear what happened to Catherine Hewes after Michael's death, but it can be assumed since Patty was her Legal Guardian that she raised Catherine alone. Her solace would probably be found in the fact she caused her own real daughter to be stillborn, as not to interfere with her being a successful attorney when she was very young, and always regretted this to some extent. In the end, Patty is left alone to raise her granddaughter. But, she has lost the only person that meant the world to her - her son. Her redeeming legacy is seen in the huge financial rewards (via settlements) she makes in the real world for thousands of people who were screwed by big corporations, banks, Wall Street and haughty CEO's.